Mixing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Mixing apparatus for mixing liquids such as paint and the like wherein the impeller of the mixing apparatus simultaneously rotates about the vertical axis of the apparatus and is movable up and down said vertical axis. This provides superior mixing, blending and agitating of liquids normally used in the chemical, pharmaceutical and paint industries. The apparatus has several embodiments and can, in fact, be attached to a standard electric drill for portability.

United States Patent [191 Guedel MIXING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Arthur R. Guedel, 5661 Laurel St.,

Indianapolis, Ind. 46227 22 Filed: Aug. 19, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 498,629

[ Sept. 23, 1975 2,701,131 2/1955 Love 416/65 Primary Examiner-Everette A. Powell, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [57] ABSTRACT Mixing apparatus for mixing liquids such as paint and the like wherein the impeller of the mixing apparatus simultaneously rotates about the vertical axis of the apparatus and is movable up and down said vertical axis. This provides superior mixing, blending and agitating of liquids normally used in the chemical, pharmaceutical and paint industries. The apparatus has several embodiments and can, in fact, be attached to a standard electric drill for portability.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I6 I I 39 23A 230 1| US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 3 3,907,459

" till Fig. I

F ig. 2

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,907,459

MIXING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mixing apparatus for mixing liquids, gases or combinations of liquids and gases. It is among the objects thereof to provide means for subjecting the liquids to a high degree of turbulence with lower horse power so as to effectively circulate the liquids in the vessel in which they are mixed at high or low velocity thus effecting maximum contact of the mixing liquids or of the mixing liquids with gases to be absorbed.

In the past, mixers, especially paint mixers, have been subject to several disadvantages. In some cases, the mixers have been able to bring about fairly complete uniformity only after a substantial period of operation. The inadequacy was due largely to the fact that actual agitation or mixing was localized in the body of the liquid, i.e. paint, at the point where the impeller was located. Flow of the liquid, e.g. paint, to the localized mixing space was not well defined, and a considerable period of time was therefore required in order that the entire contents of the-vessel be acted upon by the agitator, impeller or mixer. This situation is highly disadvantageous due to the fact that the user really has no way of telling whether liquids are adequately mixed or for accurately predicting the amount of time necessary for the mixing operation. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for mixing liquids or the like comprising a double threaded member having a cam groove therein, a slotted drive tube member encasing said double threaded member, an impeller received on said slotted drive tube member, a cam follower received in said cam groove and engaging said impeller, and means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative; to said double threaded member whereby said cam follower moves in said cam groove causing said impeller to rotate about said slotted drive tube member and to reciprocate on said slotted drive tube member.

It is known in the art to use two or more fixed impellers located on one shaft at different elevations, requiring additional horse power yet leaving inefficient mixing between the stages. The reciprocating impeller of this ivention will assure complete mixing from the bottom of the vessel to the top of its contents without any interruptions, using less horse power and mixing time.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved mixing apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a more efficient mixing apparatus which can be conveniently attached to a portable electric drill.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a mixing apparatus which does not restrict its mixing to localized areas and instead mixes the liquid in a vessel more completely by its reciprocating action.

A further object of this invention is to offer a more efficient means for mixing high viscosity materials.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevation with certain portions thereof broken away of the mixing apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the impeller assembly partially in cross section.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the slotted drive tube member of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the double threaded member of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

The first embodiment of this invention comprises the apparatus which can normally be used in combination with a commercially available electric drill sold under such trademarks as Black & Decker, Skil-Drill and others. A portable electric drill 11 includes a drill chuck 12 which mounts drive shaft 13 to the drill. Drive shaft 13 is of a size normally used in drill bits and may be made of any material having high torque qualities. The distal end of drive shaft 13 has a coupling member 14 threadedly secured thereon.

Rotatably received upon and substantially encasing said drive shaft 13 is double threaded member 15. Double threaded member 15 has a cam groove 35 running in a cross hatched pattern as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. This double threaded member 15 allows the impeller 23 to be simultaneously guided both rotationally and vertically when the device is operating. Double threaded member 15 is fixed relative to drill 11 by set screws 25 which extend through the annular cover 8 and member 7 into the double threadedmember 15. The annular member 7 is fixed relative to the drill 11 by mounting members 7 Slotted drive tube 16 encases double threaded member 15 and is attached to drive shaft 13 by the coupling member 14 and screws 24.

The impeller 23 is reciprocably and rotatably mounted on the slotted drive tube 16. The impeller includes and is mounted thereon by means of a split impeller collar assembly 21 which includes members 21A and bolts 39. A cam follower 22 rides within the cam groove 35 and extends through the slot 16A of the slotted drive tube 16 into the impeller 23. As the drive shaft 13 rotates, the slotted drive tube 16 rotates with it and causes the cam follower 22 to rotate by engagement therewith. The impeller is caused to simultaneously reciprocate by reason of the fact that the cam follower follows the cam groove 35 up and down as the follower is forced to rotate by the slotted drive tube 16. The impeller 23 includes two blades 23A which are each fixed to the collar assembly 21 by a hollow screw 238. The nuts 23C are threadedly received on the screws 23B and fix the impeller blades 23A at the appropriate' angles. Alternatively, threaded tubing 238 may be an externally hexed shaped tubing with threads cut on each side of portion 23C. 23C would then be an unthreaded portion of hex tubing 23B for use with a wrench for tightening 23B intovthe split collar 21. In such an alternative embodiment, impeller 23 screws .directly onto 233, with .washers or shims to be used between 23A and 23C to assure correct pitch of impeller 23 for maximum mixing. A set screw through the threaded hub end of the impeller 23 may also be used for the same purpose. The cam follower 22 is received shaft3l may be driven by electrical motor means as in the above-described embodiment or by any suitable power source. A drive shaft collar 32 is provided for securing t he drive shaft and gear 29 to frame 29A on which the shaft is rotatably mounted. Slotted drive tube 16 has at its end 37 a second gear 30. Driver gear 29 meshes with driven gear 30 and transfers the drive motion of drive shaft 31 to slotted tube member 16 to which the gear 30 is fixed by set screw 30A. I

l Thecollar member 40 is fixed by set screw 41 to the .double threaded tubing (need not be tubing) and has its flange 42 fixed to the frame 29A by screws 45. Thus, the double threaded tubing 15 is fixed to the frame 2 9A. The slotted drive tube l6 has a'flange 47 on'its upper end which is retained between annular bearings 50 and 51 The bearing 50 is retained in place between the collar member 40 and flange 47. The bearing 51 is retained in an'annula r recess 52 in the frame member 129A between the flange 47 and the member The operation of both of the embodiments of this invention includes' the rotation of both the drive shaft,

whether it be drive shaft 13 or 31', and slotted drive tubel6. Double threaded tubing 15 is held stationary "in both embodiments and provides the cam, groove in cam follower 22 may travel thus resulting in motion' the impeller. it can be seen that the impeller is thereby caused to both rotate and reciprocate from the topto thebottoin of drive tube 16 thus producing superior mixing of paints, pharmaceutical products and other chemicals and liquids.

" While the invention has been illustrated and deby drive shaft 31 as shown in FIG. 2. At the end 36 of 20 drive shaft 31 a firstgear member 29 is mounted. Drive scribed in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

l. Mixing apparatus comprising:

a. a double threaded member having a cam groove therein; g

b. a slotted drive tube member encasing said double threaded member; i i

c. an impeller received on said slotteddrive' tube member;

d. a cam follower received in said cam groove engaging said impeller;'and

e. means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member whereby said cam follower moves in said cam groove causing said impeller to rotate about said slotted drive tube member and to reciprocate on said slotted drive tube member. I

2. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft attached tosaid slotted drive tube member, said drive shaft 'beingr'emovably engaged by said means for rotating said slotted drive tube member.

3. The mixing apparatus of claim 1- whereinsaid means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member "comprises an electric motor, a drive shaft connected to. said electric motor and extending coaxially through said 1 double threaded member, andacoupling member connecting said drive shaft and said slotted drive tube member,

4.-The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said impeller comprises two blades attached .to aicollar assembly.

. 5. The mixing apparatus of claim Lfurthercomprising a drive shaft, saiddrive shaft having a first gear member fixedly mounted thereonysaid slotted drive tube member encasing said double threaded member,

said slotted drive tube member having a second gear member fixedly mounted thereon; said first and second gear members being meshed for driving said drive tube by said drive shaft.

6. The mixing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member comprises an electric motor connected to said drive shaft.

7. The mixing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said impeller comprises two blades attached to a collar assembly. 

1. Mixing apparatus comprising: a. a double threaded member having a cam groove therein; b. a slotted drive tube member encasing said double threaded member; c. an impeller received on said slotted drive tube member; d. a cam follower received in said cam groove engaging said impeller; and e. means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member whereby said cam follower moves in said cam groove causing said impeller to rotate about said slotted drive tube member and to reciprocate on said slotted drive tube member.
 2. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft attached to said slotted drive tube member, said drive shaft being removably engaged by said means for rotating said slotted drive tube member.
 3. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member comprises an electric motor, a drive shaft connected to said electric motor and extending coaxially through said double threaded member, and a coupling member connecting said drive shaft and said slotted drive tube member.
 4. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said impeller comprises two blades attached to a collar assembly.
 5. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a drive shaft, said drive shaft having a first gear member fixedly mounted thereon; said slotted drive tube member encasing said double threaded member, said slotted drive tube member having a second gear member fixedly mounted thereon; said first and second gear members being meshed for driving said drive tube by said drive shaft.
 6. The mixing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said slotted drive tube member relative to said double threaded member comprises an electric motor connected to said drive shaft.
 7. The mixing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said impeller comprises two blades attached to a collar assembly. 